681116 - Letter to Brahmananda written from Los Angeles

Letters by Date, 1968

Tridandi Goswami
AC Bhaktivedanta Swami
Acharya: International Society For Krishna Consciousness

CAMP: A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
ISKCON RADHA KRISHNA TEMPLE
450 1/2 N. Hayworth Avenue
Los Angles , Cal. 90048

DATED Nov...16,.......................196.8.

My Dear Brahmananda,

Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated Nov. 11, 1968, and I have noted the contents. Later on I heard from Tamal Krishna that Purushottam has decided to come here and I also heard that Gargamuni has got a nice apartment by his father. So I am little relieved that Gargamuni has now a good apartment. But about him I have already written to you in my letter dated Nov. 12, 1968, and you should inform him about my opinion when he comes to New York. If he feels too much inconvenience at the care of his father, he may come back to you and help you there in New York.

Regarding Dai Nippon publication, I think if we disregard them and print Teachings of Lord Chaitanya at this mature moment, it will not be very much to our own good credit. They have advanced so much already and they have invested money to some extent, and if we stop at this moment, this will not be very good for us. They have got good regard for us and we must maintain this position. The best thing is therefore that you send them an urgent telegram that we must get the books by the end of this month, and otherwise we will arrange for printing elsewhere. So we must give them a notice to warn them before we take up the work for printing ourselves.

Regarding opening of the press, my idea is that unless we are fully independent, in all departmental works of the press, we should not attempt it. Your suggestion that the papers may be sent to Holland for binding is completely utopian. If we print we must bind ourselves also. This is not practical proposal that we shall print in our press, and send for binding in other countries. Therefore it is essential that some of our boys may learn about binding also. When we start our own press, we must simply print our own publications and magazines and books. We shall not accept any outside work, and by selling books and magazines, we shall have to maintain That should be the ideal work. We shouldn't depend for maintaining the workers by accepting outside job works. So for the time being, the Dai Nippon business must be finished immediately. Then after getting Teachings of Lord Chaitanya, along with Bhagavad Gita, we will try to start our own press by the sales proceeds.

Regarding Rama Krishna's book reviewing, I am not very much in favor of this unnecessary publicity to a person whom we do not like. We know that this institution is a bogus humbug only without any substance, and why should we bring them in prominence by criticizing them. They are not very much popular in America. They are working for the last 75 or 80 years in this country, since 1893, but I think our ISKCON institution is better known in your country than the RamaKrishna missionary activities. If you actually make progress in the constructive program of our Krishna Consciousness movement very soon we shall surpass all nonsensical activities, including RamaKrishna mission, Yogananda ashram, or so many yoga societies. Simply we have to push on the Samkirtan party and organize them nicely. And increase the sale of our Back To Godhead.

I understand that you are still planning to send order to the United Shipping. You should immediately send them the order to execute if you have not done as yet. We shall require so many kholes and kartals for spreading this Samkirtan movement.

I understand that JayaGovinda has sent the Bhagavatam, 2nd canto, by registered surface mail. But I do now know when it will come. He sent a packet of medicine some 3 months ago, by surface mail, to the address of Montreal temple, but it is not yet reached. The best thing would have been to send the package to United Shipping corporation for being dispatched with the kholes.

Regarding Purushottam, both you and Rayarama have inquired from me what specific duty he will have to execute here. My intention of calling him is that he expressed a strong desire to live with me in Montreal, so I wish to keep him with me at least for some time and train him to act as secretary. Of course, he will work in other spheres also, to secure advertisement, but in case Govinda dasi goes to Hawaii, I shall require a secretary. Govinda dasi is quite competent to act and she is doing very nicely, she is willing worker, educated and intelligent, everything complete, but the only thing is that she is young girl and I am a Sanyasi. At the present time of course Goursundar has gone there without any money, so he has no sufficient means just now for her to go there. At the present moment she is living at night with Nandarani and in the daytime she is assisting me as my secretary. Formerly when Goursundar was with me, she was living at night here also, but since he has gone with great responsibility for organizing a Hawaii center, he cannot be called, although I am feeling his separation because he was always helping me day and night. So after all it is an experiment, I do not know how the future program shall be fixed up, but if Purusottama's service is absolutely needed in New York, then he may go back again.

Hope this meets you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami